Aerodynamic golf club head

• US 9,950,221 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Albertsen, Jeffrey J., Burnett, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US15/334,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20170043224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/006 Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance

Abstract

An aerodynamic golf club head producing reduced aerodynamic drag forces via the curvature of a crown section. At least a portion of the crown section may be composed of low density materials, including nonmetallic materials.

Claims

1. An aerodynamic golf club head (100) comprising:

A) a hollow body (110) having a club head volume of at least 400 cc, a face (200), a sole section (300), a crown section (400), a front (112), a back (114), a heel (116), and a toe (118);

B) the face (200) having a top edge (210) and a lower edge (220), wherein a top edge height (TEH) is the elevation of the top edge (210) above the ground plane (GP), and a maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and

C) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP) and having an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the maximum top edge height (TEH) of at least 1.13, wherein;

(i) within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f), and a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) of the hollow body (110) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r),

(ii) within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t);

(iii) a majority portion of the crown section (400) is composed of a nonmetallic material having a density less than a portion of the sole section (300), and a portion of the crown section (400) has at least one of (a) the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 4 inches, (b) the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) is greater than 5 inches on a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) that is composed of the nonmetallic material, and (c) the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than a portion of the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) located above the top edge height (TEH);

(iv) the crown apex (410) is behind the forward-most point on the face (200) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension (412), the crown apex setback dimension is less than 1.75 inches, the crown section (400) includes a post apex attachment promoting region (420) on the surface of the crown section (400) at an elevation above a maximum top edge plane, wherein the post apex attachment promoting region (420) begins at the crown apex (410) and extends toward the back (114), and the post apex attachment promoting region (420) includes an attachment promoting region length (422) measured along the surface of the crown section (400) and orthogonal to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA), and the attachment promoting region length (422) is at least as great as fifty percent of the crown apex setback dimension (412); and

(v) wherein within a vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the post apex attachment promoting region (420) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) that is less than 4 inches.

2. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches, and a second moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through the center of gravity (CG) is at least 2000 g*cm².

3. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 2, wherein the front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.6 inches, a first moment of inertia (MOIy) about a vertical axis through a center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head (100) is at least 4000 g*cm², the apex ratio is at least 1.20, and 5-10% of the club head volume is above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH).

4. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches.

5. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) that is less than 3.75 inches.

6. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 4 inches, and the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than a portion of the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) located above the top edge height (TEH).

7. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 4 inches, and the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) is greater than 5 inches on a portion of the crown section (400) located above the top edge height (TEH) and composed of the nonmetallic material.

8. An aerodynamic golf club head (100) comprising:

A) a hollow body (110) having a club head volume of at least 400 cc, a face (200), a sole section (300), a crown section (400), a front (112), a back (114), a heel (116), and a toe (118);

B) the face (200) having a top edge (210) and a lower edge (220), wherein a top edge height (TEH) is the elevation of the top edge (210) above the ground plane (GP), and a maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and

C) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP) and having an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the maximum top edge height (TEH), wherein;

(i) within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f), and a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) of the hollow body (110) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r),

(ii) within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t); and

(iii) the crown section (400) has;

(a) the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 4 inches; and

(b) the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than a portion of the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) located above the top edge height (TEH).

9. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 8, wherein the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches, and a second moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through the center of gravity (CG) is at least 2000 g*cm².

10. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 9, wherein the apex ratio is at least 1.13, and a first moment of inertia (MOIy) about a vertical axis through the center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head (100) is at least 4000 g*cm².

11. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 8, wherein the crown apex (410) is behind the forward-most point on the face (200) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension (412), the crown apex setback dimension is less than 1.75 inches, and the crown section (400) includes a post apex attachment promoting region (420) on the surface of the crown section (400) at an elevation above a maximum top edge plane, wherein the post apex attachment promoting region (420) begins at the crown apex (410) and extends toward the back (114), and the post apex attachment promoting region (420) includes an attachment promoting region length (422) measured along the surface of the crown section (400) and orthogonal to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA), and the attachment promoting region length (422) is at least as great as fifty percent of the crown apex setback dimension (412).

12. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 11, wherein the crown apex setback dimension (412) is less than a distance from a vertical projection of the center of gravity on the ground plane to a second vertical projection of the forwardmost point on the face (200) on the ground plane.

13. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 8, wherein a majority portion of the crown section (400) is composed of a nonmetallic material.

14. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 13, wherein a portion of the crown section (400) in front of the crown apex (410) is formed of the nonmetallic material.

15. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 8, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches, a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) that is less than 3.75 inches, and 5-10% of the club head volume is above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH).

16. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 8, wherein the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 4 inches, and the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) is greater than 5 inches on a portion of the crown section (400) located above the top edge height (TEH) and composed of the nonmetallic material.

17. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 8, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches.

18. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 8, wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) of a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) is greater than 5 inches.

19. An aerodynamic golf club head (100) comprising:

A) a hollow body (110) having a club head volume of at least 400 cc, a face (200), a sole section (300), a crown section (400), a front (112), a back (114), a heel (116), and a toe (118);

B) the face (200) having a top edge (210) and a lower edge (220), wherein a top edge height (TEH) is the elevation of the top edge (210) above the ground plane (GP), and a maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and

C) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP) and having an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the maximum top edge height (TEH), wherein;

(i) within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f), and a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) of the hollow body (110) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r),

(ii) within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t); and

(iii) the crown section (400) has;

(a) the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 4 inches; and

(b) the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) of a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) is greater than 5 inches.

20. The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 19, wherein the crown section (400) has at least one of the following characteristics:

(a) the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches; and

(b) the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than a portion of the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) located above the top edge height (TEH).